


Last night lover

by Minne_My



Category: Silent Witness (TV)
Genre: F/F, Femslash, One Night Stands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27631574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minne_My/pseuds/Minne_My
Summary: Jill's entrance coincides with Harriet's exit. What's a little dalliance in the meantime?
Relationships: Jill Raymond/Harriet Farmer
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> D.I. Raymond played by Jemma Redgrave in the episode 'Hope'  
> D.S. Farmer played by Clare Higgins in the first series of Silent Witness

D.S. Farmer was known by reputation as a blunt speaker and Jill liked that. She was quick, sharp and instinctive which hadn't always worked in her benefit during her career. Jill wasn't going to work with her though as Harriet was leaving for pastures anew in Manchester.

'Just as well we'll never be on the same case. You'd go off me very quickly' she said, lighting up. 'It's a side effect of working with me. Ask Sam Ryan. And a few other people.'

Sam Ryan was a legend around these parts. Jill would have considered it a privilege to work with her but she had left a while ago. Harriet flicked a well-practiced eye over the young woman.

'Time for the new charge to lead the way. You'll do well here, I'm sure.'

'Looking forward to your new post?'

Harriet shrugged.

'New challenges. Different scenery. Going back to my roots. Thereabouts. I'll be able to visit my mum a bit more. She complains that she never sees me then proceeds to criticize me whenever I'm there. The usual.'

She produced a lighter and offered a cigarette, lit it for Jill. The younger woman found it gratuitously attractive.

'Where are you from?'

'Bradford.'

Harriet lapsed into broad Yorkshire every so often. In the last decade she'd learned how to speak in a more refined manner and that melodious thrum in her voice lent itself well to the hodgepodge of her current accent. Jill could listen to it all day.

'She turned up her nose at me when she found out that I learned how to speak posh.'

Harriet smiled to show no hard feelings. She was deeply ambitious and had joined the police force after leaving school. She'd evaluated her career from the early days where she'd been told to turn a blind eye when a couple of policemen shared a prostitute in the cells. Now she was in a position to be able to demand all reports on unprofessional behaviour. It didn't always make her popular but she had no time for opinions like that.

Jill returned the smile. She had become aware that her upper-class accent gave people the impression of being a snob, yet marked her to be BBC news presenter trustworthy. She was learning how to work in the real world. She felt like having another cigarette so that she could be in closer proximity to Harriet's dexterous fingers. She kept casually glancing over at them as Harriet fidgeted. Left-handed. No rings. While Harriet Farmer had never been known to divulge her private life, there was something about her that pinged Jill's radar. She hoped she wasn't wrong.

They chatted about this and that, making their drinks last. Jill absorbed all the advice that she was given, from male colleagues to cufflinks and coffee, or the lack of good coffee available. Jill appraised the other woman covertly. She had a decade on her, outfitted in an old-fashioned skirt suit. Nobody wore those anymore. Although diminutive in height, she cut a striking figure with her crisp white collar neatly arranged over the lapels of her blazer and legs that stopped builders in their tracks. Jill was no stranger to that herself. She blinked as Harriet's next words drilled into her brain as she waved her cigarette around animatedly.

'Work and sex never mix.'

Jill tried to ascertain whether that meant she could be presumptuous this evening.

'Seen it too many times.'

Harriet mentioned when one of her best officers got involved with someone in the same department and it had ended badly. Badly as in they'd had created a cold atmosphere at work, Harriet had been furious that her most promising member of her team ended up applying for a transfer and extremely badly in that she'd ended up dead in an explosion. She'd never forget D.C. Kerry Cox.

'You'll lose people along the way. If you don't go first, that is' she warned her. Jill nodded, feeling annoyingly sober at the thought. There was nothing more draining than realising your mortality. They sat in silence for a while, making the most of the last few weeks before the smoking ban came into force. Jill supposed that she'd attempt to give up now. Harriet complained that being forced to give up was just as bad as being peer pressured to smoke.

'Which I was, of course. Everyone smoked before they left school. Maybe I'll make my mum happy and 'stop skulking outside to indulge in my filthy habit.' Maybe this will be the year I'll start testing out Nicorette patches.'

They laughed conspiratorially.

'I think I'd rather work my way through several boxes of chewing gum substitute' said Jill.

'If I did that my mum will tell me I chew like a cow. Very unladylike' she said, mockingly.

They ordered another double whiskey and continued. Harriet noticed that Jill was looking at her watch, a plain style.

'A leaving present from my parents. They were almost happy to get rid of me' she quipped. 'Too many of us and not enough space. I'm one of five.'

'Five kids? That is a lot.'

'Five daughters. Everyone else in the family are teachers. I didn't want to do the same. They weren't sure what to make of it.'

Jill could imagine how Harriet had caused waves in her family, had a reputation in her neighbourhood. She was not meant for suburban life and 2.4 children. Jill empathised. She had been expected to marry some nice boy whose father was big in banking and settle down on some country estate playing the aristocratic wife. That wasn't her scene. Luckily, her parents were progressive enough to let her do as she pleased.

'Nice cufflinks' Harriet nodded to them.

'Oh. Thanks. It was _my_ leaving present.' Jill smiled at the memory of the neighbour's astonishment at the unconventional gift. Girls didn't get cufflinks. But her parents knew that there was no other piece of finery she'd rather have. They never insisted that she need follow the rules of their set. She was lucky to have such parents, she knew.

They finally finished their drinks and entertained the thought of leaving.

'Are you setting off tomorrow?'

'No, got a week to pack up. I'll start from tomorrow. Shouldn't take long.'

Jill smiled but made no attempt to move.

‘Penny for ‘em?’ Harriet sat back down.

‘Work and sex don’t mix’ said Jill slowly.

‘That’s right.’ Harriet looked wary.

‘But we’re not going to be working together…’

Jill shifted the glass around the table with a finger. She looked a tad smug. Harriet looked appraisingly at her, gathering the meaning right away.

‘Oh you are a surprise, Ms Raymond.’

She picked up her bag and walked to the door. Jill couldn’t believe her luck. Harriet turned around by the door.

‘Are you coming home with me?’


	2. Chapter 2

'I would offer you coffee but I don't think there's any point.'

Jill chuckled. Harriet shrugged off her blazer and regaled her with a tale of a friend who was dating a younger woman. Having innocently asked her in for coffee one evening, imagine her surprise when her date pushed her against the wall and asked later if she really had just invited her in for coffee. Her friend hadn't realised that it meant something other than coffee these days.

'Promise you actual coffee in the morning though if you'll stay that long.'

Harriet's ice blue eyes dared her otherwise.

'I have no intention of leaving before morning' Jill assured her. 'That's not my style.'

Harriet liked her integrity.

'Come in on then.'

Jill draped her bag and coat over the banister and kicked off her shoes. It was a nice little flat. Small but cheerful. Harriet was going to miss it when she moved. They settled themselves on the sofa with a jug of water, telling stories about them or their friends. Jill considered herself somewhat experienced but she was astounded at the kind of things Harriet and her friends had got up to.

'You climbed down the drainpipe when his parents arrived early?'

Harriet hooted with laughter.

'I was the lucky one, got away scot free. My friend got stuck in a tree! His parents thought there was a burglar and nearly called the police. We were so off our faces by then, it hardly felt stupid until much later.'

Jill honked in amusement and realised that she really did enjoy Harriet's company.

'I would offer you coffee but I don't think there's any point.'

Jill chuckled. Harriet shrugged off her blazer and regaled her with a tale of a friend who was dating a younger woman. Having innocently asked her in for coffee one evening, imagine her surprise when her date pushed her against the wall and asked later if she really had just invited her in for coffee. Her friend hadn't realised that it meant something other than coffee these days.

'Promise you actual coffee in the morning though if you'll stay that long.'

Harriet's ice blue eyes dared her otherwise.

'I have no intention of leaving before morning' Jill assured her. 'That's not my style.'

Harriet liked her integrity.

'Come in on then.'

Jill draped her bag and coat over the banister and kicked off her shoes. It was a nice little flat. Small but cheerful. Harriet was going to miss it when she moved. They settled themselves on the sofa with a jug of water, telling stories about them or their friends. Jill considered herself somewhat experienced but she was astounded at the kind of things Harriet and her friends had got up to.

'You climbed down the drainpipe when his parents arrived early?'

Harriet hooted with laughter.

'I was the lucky one, got away scot free. My friend got stuck in a tree! His parents thought there was a burglar and nearly called the police. We were so off our faces by then, it hardly felt stupid until much later.'

Jill honked in amusement and realised that she really did enjoy Harriet's company.

'Not a word though, I have a reputation to uphold' Harriet warned her. Jill promised faithfully. Her hostess put down her glass and leaned forward, taking hold of her waistcoat to pull her in for a light but insistent kiss. Jill relaxed and let her lead to fully appreciate just how good the kiss was.

She thought it might feel awkward when it ended but her hostess made it easy by getting up and walking straight to the bedroom, unbuttoning her shirt on the way. Jill couldn't fail to notice the swell of her breasts, as she was supposed to. Harriet turned round and asked her guest to turn off the light in the living room. There was a glint in her eye.

'Coming?'

How could Jill resist the lure of that teasing tone? She wouldn't.

'I bloody well hope so' she replied. She heard a low laugh in return. She didn't think Harriet was the pillow princess type.

The bedroom was small but cosy. Harriet kicked off her shoes and Jill took her cue to do the same. Draping her shirt over the mirror, Harriet turned to grab her guest, walking backwards to the edge of the bed.

'While I approve of such a smart outfit, I think it's time it came off.'

Jill smiled crookedly as Harriet's fingers ran their way around the top and down to the buttons, to be proficiently undone.

'Well I see that you're an expert at this.'

'Any other time and I might be interested in the quality of this garment but not today.'

Her touch sparked pins and needles on Jill's skin and she felt flushed and slightly dizzy. To steady herself, she took over unbuttoning her shirt herself. Harriet leaned back a little with an appreciative eye, it had been a while since she'd had someone in her bed and she was going to enjoy this last London fling.

Jill hesitated by the time she'd undone the first few buttons. She'd forgotten.

'Come on. Unless you want me to rip it off you and ruin it.'

Jill smiled, suddenly at ease.

'I didn't realise I had the opportunity of stripping today. I should have worn a bra.'

She unbuttoned the rest and discarded it over the mirror as Harriet watched with pleasure. She liked what she saw.

'You're playing a dangerous game, Ms Raymond.'

Jill barked in amusement. 'Most of my stuff is in the wash' she confessed. 'I took a bit of a risk not wearing one today.'

'A girl could get distracted in the workplace with those.'

'Now you're just pandering to my ego' Jill protested with a smile. 'There's no way you could shake your focus for the sake of my nipples. Otherwise I'll suspect some fabricating about your reputation.'

'You're not easy to flatter. Alright, it would take a lot more than that to sway my concentration but no doubt it would cross my mind.'

Jill reached for the buttons of the skirt in front of her. There was no more talk for a while. There were clothes rustling as they were slipped off, soft exclamations of ecstasy, later rocketing to much louder (Harriet) and more urgent (Jill) proportions. Harriet knew her neighbours would fucking hate her tonight but that was too bad. Undoing a woman like Jill Raymond was far too good of an opportunity to pass up and it was worth every second she scrolled her tongue up, down and around to provoke that most satisfying cry, to feel her tremor around her fingers, that blissful panting wrung out aftermath. Thank goodness they weren't going to work together after all. She couldn't afford to break her cardinal rule, not even for Jill.


	3. Chapter 3

Morning light peeked through the curtains, bathing them in a warm glow. Jill yawned and rolled over, sleep weary eyes focusing on the freckles on her companion's shoulders. She was relieved not to find them cuddling. Not something she needed from a brief encounter and thankfully Harriet seemed to feel the same. She was breathing the soft sleep of the satisfied. Jill made use of the spare dressing gown and got up cautiously. She needed to check her phone and it was in her bag on the bannister. Harriet was awake when she returned, pointed out a plug to charge it from. She rolled onto her side and propped herself up, running a hand through her hair. Her normally immaculate blow-dried bob was rumpled. Jill bet that nobody in the Lyell Institute had seen her like that. It looked good on her.

'I'd keep with that waistcoat if I were you. You'll get more women than your colleagues. Nowt can wear it as well as you.'

Jill wondered if that were true but advice was advice and who was she to disregard ways to get pussy points?

'I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you.'

Harriet's slow grin made Jill feel hot all over. She wondered if it showed. She wasn't used to not taking the lead. Sitting at the little kitchen table with a cup of hot strong coffee, she reflected on the night before and felt a thrill of satisfaction in how good it had been. It didn't help that her victor was sitting opposite her in her dressing gown, drinking coffee in a most blameless manner, as if she hadn't done all those things that made Jill ache all over. She caught her gaze and raised her eyebrows in question. Jill's expression told her all. Out came that low laugh again, the flirtatious flick of her eyes, that lazy kittenish grin. She clearly had hidden depths that she couldn't afford to let her colleagues know about. She'd lose her ball busting reputation and that wouldn't do.

Harriet popped a packet of cigarettes in Jill's blazer pocket as she left. She didn't know if she'd find quite a good a shag where she was going anytime soon and wanted to show her appreciation once more. She stored up the memory of what those wonderfully long slender fingers and what they could do, later on tonight.

'Some for later,' she said with a wink.

Jill grinned and thanked her for being…such a fantastic hostess.

'If we ever cross paths again, circumstances permitting, perhaps we could catch up again.'

Jill readily agreed. Waving goodbye, she departed at her usual pace, her body sore but with a lightness in her heart. Nothing like a bit of throwaway fun to puncture the gruelling workdays.

Advice was advice. The waistcoat stayed and did the job admirably. She had D.S. Farmer to thank for that.


End file.
